Elbasan establishes first Local Public Safety Council in Albania with OSCE Presence assistance

The first meeting of a Local Public Safety Council - the first structure of this kind in Albania, established with the assistance of the OSCE Presence - took place at the Municipality of Elbasan on 2 December 2016.

The primary goal of the Council is to mobilize all local stakeholders to jointly address issues linked to criminality, domestic violence and violent extremism. The advisory body, chaired by the Qazim Sejdini, Mayor of Elbasan, will also serve to identify local community challenges linked to personal security.

“The creation of sustainable co-operation between all local actors, including civil society, police, social services and religious communities, marks an important step in improving citizen safety and security,” said Sejdini.

The OSCE Presence in Albania is working to establish Local Public Safety Councils in many other municipalities over the next months. The town of Korça is expected to establish its own Council in December 2016.